Iran Plans To Attend Forum On Afghanistan / US Welcomes Iran In Afghan Meeting

Iran Plans To Attend Forum On Afghanistan / US Welcomes Iran In Afghan Meeting

Conference Will Host at Least 80 Countries

(NSI News Source Info) TEHRAN - March 27, 2009: Iran said Thursday that it would attend a U.N. conference on Afghanistan proposed by the United States, and urged a regional solution to the "crisis." Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi said Iran had yet to decide whom to send to next Tuesday's international meeting in The Hague, which will be attended by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and delegates from more than 80 countries. State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid welcomed news of Iran's participation, which followed President Obama's offer of a "new beginning" in relations. But he said Clinton had no plans for a "substantive" meeting with Iranian officials at the forum. "This conference is about reaching a regional consensus about Afghanistan. It is not a conference about U.S.-Iranian relations," he said. Clinton said this month Iran would be invited to the meeting on Afghanistan, which battles a growing Islamist Taliban insurgency, in a U.S. overture which recognizes the Shiite Muslim power's influence on its troubled neighbor. Iran and the United States have not had diplomatic ties for three decades and are at odds over Iran's nuclear work. But analysts say they share an interest in ensuring a stable Afghanistan, where violence is at its highest level since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. "Iran will participate," Qashqavi said. "The level of participation is not clear." Clinton is expected to provide details of a review of U.S. strategy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan, which is set to be released before the conference. Iran says that the United States is failing in Afghanistan but that Iran is ready to help its eastern neighbor. Obama last month ordered the deployment of 17,000 extra U.S. troops to the country. Iran has often called for U.S. forces to leave the region, saying they are making the situation worse. Qashqavi said Iran would also attend a separate meeting on Afghanistan in Moscow this week. In a major shift from the policies of his predecessor, George W. Bush, who sought to isolate Iran over nuclear work the West suspects is aimed at making weapons, Obama has offered to extend a hand of peace to Iran if "it unclenches its fist." Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said Saturday that he had so far seen no change in U.S. behavior but that Iran would respond to any real policy shift by the United States. Iran says its nuclear program is for peaceful power purposes.

Japan Orders Possible North Korean Rocket Interception

Japan Orders Possible North Korean Rocket Interception

(NSI News Source Info) Seoul - March 27, 2009: Japan's military is getting ready to shoot down part or all of the rocket North Korea is planning to launch, if it looks like it will land anywhere on Japanese territory. Meanwhile, senior regional envoys are heading to Washington to craft a diplomatic response to the imminent launch. Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's warships 7,250-ton DDG Kongou, left, and 7,250-ton DDG Choukai are moored at JMSDF Sasebo Base in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture (state), southwestern Japan, Friday, March 27, 2009. The pair of destroyers carrying SM-3 sea-to-air missiles would be deployed to the Sea of Japan as Japan's defense minister ordered the deployment of missile interceptors to the northern coast on Friday to shoot down any debris that could fall on Japanese territory if a North Korean rocket launch fails. Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force's warships are moored at JMSDF Sasebo Base in Sasebo, Nagasaki Prefecture (state), southwestern Japan, Friday, 27 Mar 2009

Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada says he has ordered the interception of any dangerous debris, if anything goes wrong with North Korea's planned rocket launch.

He says any missile or rocket flying over Japan is unacceptable, and adds Japan will take approriate measures with anything that affects the nation's interests.

Hamada's comments follow a meeting of Japan's Security Council Friday, at which senior officials voted to approve the use of missile defense technology to destroy any part of the North Korean rocket that looks like it will land on Japan.

North Korea says it will launch, what it says is a communications satellite, sometime between April 4 and April 8. The trajectory is expected to cross Northern Japanese territory.

South Korea, Japan, and the United States view the planned launch as an unacceptable attempt to advance the North's ballistic missile program.

The long-range rocket Pyongyang intends to launch is theoretically capable of delivering a warhead as far as the western United States.

Leaders of all three countries, including Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso, say the launch will violate a United Nations resolution passed after North Korea's 2006 nuclear weapon test.

He says Japan will strongly protest through the United Nations, while also urging North Korea not to carry out the launch.

North Korea says attempts to shoot down its rocket will be an act of war, and that any additional U.N. sanctions resulting from the launch will deal a fatal blow to six-nation talks aimed at ending the North's nuclear weapons programs.

South Korea's delegate to those talks left Friday for Washington for high-level consulations on a diplomatic response to the launch.

President Barack Obama: Taliban And al-Qaida Must Be Stopped

President Barack Obama: Taliban And al-Qaida Must Be Stopped

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - March 27, 2009: President Barack Obama has declared that the United States must "disrupt, defeat and dismantle" the al-Qaida terrorist organization and the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

U.S. President Barack Obama (L) speaks about Afghanistan and Pakistan while (L-R) policy adviser Bruce Riedel, Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Michael Mullen, National Security Adviser James Jones, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Undersecretary of Defense for policy, Michelle A. Flournoy, and Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Charles Albert Holbrooke in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on March 27, 2009 in Washington, DC. President Obama announced a new strategy consisting of increasing troops in Afghanistan while boosting aid in Pakistan with the hopes of weakening al-Qaeda.

Announcing plans for an increased American troop presence in Afghanistan, Obama also said that it's important for the American people to understand that Pakistan "needs our help" in going after terrorists.

He called the situation in Afghanistan "increasingly perilous." The administration has already approved sending 17,000 additional combat troops to Afghanistan and was ready to announce another 4,000 to go there.

Obama said that if the Afghan government falls to the Taliban or allows al Qaida to go unchallenged, "that country will be a base for terrorists who want to kill us."

Swiss Cabinet Blocks Arms Spares for Pakistan / Arms Exports for Pakistan Rejected

Swiss Cabinet Blocks Arms Spares for Pakistan / Arms Exports for Pakistan Rejected

(NSI News Source Info) March 27, 2009: The cabinet has rejected a request for the export of replacement parts for anti-aircraft systems to Pakistan due to the instable political situation in the country.

The Asian nation was the largest buyer of Swiss arms last year.

The Oerlikon 35 mm twin cannon is a towed anti-aircraft gun made by Oerlikon-Contraves. The system was originally designated as 2 ZLA/353 ML but this was later changed to GDF-001. It was developed in the late 1950s and is used by around 30 countries. Pakistan estimated 200 GDF-002 units.

A spokeswoman for the economics ministry said on Wednesday that Switzerland would reconsider its policy if and when other European countries restarted exporting arms to Pakistan. The cabinet also rejected a request for the export of weapons to Egypt and Saudi Arabia because of the unsatisfactory human rights situation in those countries.

However, it approved the sale of hundreds of rifles and machine guns to India to equip the police in various parts of the country, and the delivery of parts for air-to-air guided missiles and anti-aircraft guns to South Korea.

The pacificist group, Switzerland without an army, wants to ban the export of arms, and has collected enough signatures to bring the issue to a nationwide vote. A date still has to be set for the vote.

10,000th MRAP En Route to Central Command / 10,000th MRAP En Route to Central Command

10,000th MRAP En Route to Central Command / 10,000th MRAP En Route to Central Command

(NSI News Source Info) March 27, 2009: Military and civilian officials gathered March 23 to commemorate the 10,000th surface shipment of mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles, known as MRAPs, to the U.S. Central Command area of operations, which includes Iraq and Afghanistan.

Air Force Gen. Duncan J. McNabb, commander of U.S. Transportation Command, and Army Maj. Gen. James L. Hodge, commander of Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, attended the event at Wharf Alpha at the Naval Weapons Station Charleston here. SDDC’s 841st Transportation Battalion served as host for the commemoration.

In his remarks, Army Lt. Col. Randy Haufe, battalion commanding officer, acknowledged the team effort responsible for this milestone. He recognized his civilian and military workforce and that of the International Longshoremen Association from Terminal Corporation-East for their dedication in accomplishing this and other vital port operations here.

Hodge also saluted the efforts of those involved in the shipment of MRAPs, which he described as “the best equipment our service men and women could have available as they serve in harm’s way.”

McNabb recognized the professionalism and dedication involved on everyone’s part in the safe, secure and efficient shipment of the 10,000 MRAPs. “These lifesaving vehicles are proving their value every day in protecting our warfighters and keeping them safe.”

Army Capt. Lonnie Nipper of the 841st, who recently returned from a 12-month tour in Iraq, shared his personal experiences with the MRAP.

In Iraq, Nipper worked with about 15 soldiers as part of a military transition team responsible for mentoring and advising Iraqi forces. He recalled when improvised explosive devices hit his convoy of MRAPs. Though MRAPs were delayed by flat tires, vehicle damage and, on one occasion, one flipped over, there were no casualties.

“If it wasn’t for the people working diligently here getting these vehicles ready and shipped over to us, we wouldn’t be able to accomplish our mission,” Nipper said. “So, thank you.”

The ship carrying the 10,000th MRAP, the MV Alliance New York, is the same ship that delivered the first MRAP carried by surface to the Central Command theater of operations in November 2007.

Iran, India May Join US war In Afghanistan

Iran, India May Join US war In Afghanistan

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - March 27, 2009: A key US senator said on Thursday that the United States and Iran might begin their cooperation for stabilising Afghanistan after a meeting between officials of the two countries in The Hague next week. ‘We also need to reach out to Afghanistan’s other neighbours, including India, China, and Iran,’ Senator John Kerry told the confirmation hearing for the new US ambassador to Afghanistan. Sen. John Kerry and the Sen. Richard Lugar preside over the hearing on the Iranian situation on Capitol Hill in Washington. The former Democratic presidential candidate, who now heads the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, noted that in 2001 and 2002, Iran helped to stabilise Afghanistan. ‘And the Obama administration is right to explore how our interests might coincide again on this issue, beginning at the Hague Conference next week,’ he added. Earlier on Thursday, Hasan Qashqavi, a spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Tehran that Iran would join the United States at two international conferences on Afghanistan, including the one at The Hague which begins on March 31. ‘The level of participation is yet to be determined,’ he added. Last week, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton officially invited Iran to the Hague conference. The US move is seen in Tehran as a moral victory for the Iranian government, which was castigated by the Bush administration as part of an ‘Axis of Evil’. Although the US still plays a leading role in the campaign against Iran’s nuclear programme, the US decision to involve it in its efforts to stabilise Afghanistan enhances the stature of the Iranian government. Both the Afghan President Hamid Karzai and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon are expected to attend. Other attendees will include foreign ministers from countries in the region, countries that are part of the International Security Assistance Force and other countries and organisations that are contributing to reconstruction in Afghanistan. At the confirmation hearing, Senator Kerry outlined some of the salient features of a new US strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, which is expected to be announced on Friday. The new strategy also seeks to triple US economic assistance to Pakistan and a greater engagement with the Afghans. ‘I will soon be re-introducing with Senator Lugar the Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan Act, which seeks to triple non-military aid to the people of Pakistan,’ Senator Kerry said. The proposed legislation will also hold Pakistan’s ‘security forces more accountable for assistance provided in their fight against the Pakistani Taliban and Al Qaeda,’ he added. Senator Richard Lugar, a ranking Republican member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which authorises US foreign aid, also has pledged to support the bill. ‘We can all agree that today Afghanistan, along with its neighbour Pakistan, represents the central front in our global campaign against terrorism,’ Senator Kerry told the confirmation hearing. Referring to the new strategy, Senator Kerry stressed the need for a regional approach for bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan. ‘Our strategy must also reflect the interconnectedness of the region’s challenges,’ he said. ‘This requires redoubling our efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s civilian government and support its activities against militants in the tribal belt.’ That’s why, he said, he was seeking to triple US assistance to Pakistan. Senator Kerry noted that President Barak Obama has pledged to recommit to Afghanistan, beginning with the deployment of 17,000 additional US troops and a significant effort to increase the size and capacity of Afghan security forces. He said while he supported this move, he also believed that ‘troops alone will not bring victory.’

President Barack Obama To Unveil Afghan Strategy Today

President Barack Obama To Unveil Afghan Strategy Today

(NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - March 27, 2009: President Barack Obama on Friday will unveil a new US strategy for the war in Afghanistan designed to turn the tide against a growing insurgency, the White House said. As Obama briefed lawmakers on his plan Thursday, defense officials said the president was planning to send an additional 4,000 troops to train Afghan security forces later this year. President Obama holds an 'Open For Questions' town hall style meeting in the East Room of the White House in Washington. The move to deploy an extra brigade follows Obama's decision last month to send in 17,000 reinforcements to take on insurgents challenging the Kabul government in the south and east of the country. ‘The president is making calls and briefing members of Congress based on the conclusion of that review, that the president will announce tomorrow at the White House,’ spokesman Robert Gibbs told a news conference. The strategy is expected to rely on more US boots on the ground, expanding Kabul's security forces, wooing ‘moderate’ insurgents, stepping up civilian aid efforts and a diplomatic push focused on Pakistan's role. Obama over the weekend said it was crucial to set out an approach that would allow the United States to eventually leave the country, after more than seven years of war. ‘There's got to be an exit strategy,’ Obama told CBS television's ‘60 Minutes’ program. ‘There's got to be a sense that this is not a perpetual drift.’ Outlines of the blueprint have emerged in recent weeks, including plans to bolster development projects and tackle insurgent havens across the border in Pakistan. Officials said the strategy would likely bring no major surprises when it is announced on Friday. ‘Separate elements of this have already been discussed in other public forums,’ a US defense official told AFP. The ‘civilian surge’ planned by the administration would involve hundreds of experts to help with agricultural, administrative and other development projects designed to improve local and regional government, officials said. Even before the strategy review was finished, Obama approved reinforcements of 17,000 to join the 38,000-strong US force along with other Nato troops. An additional brigade of 4,000 will arrive later to help with the recruitment and training of a larger Afghan army and police force, which the administration is betting will one day take over security duties. Compared to December, US troops levels are set to double by the end of the summer, Pentagon officials said. The day before the president was to present his strategy, his pick to be ambassador to Kabul warned that the new approach in Afghanistan would fail unless Pakistan cracks down on extremists.

Australia Program Delivers 42 Upgraded M113s In 9 Years / Management Of The M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier Upgrade Project (Summary)

Australia Program Delivers 42 Upgraded M113s In 9 Years / Management Of The M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier Upgrade Project (Summary)

(NSI News Source Info) March 27, 2009: M113s are the only tracked vehicle in the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF’s) fleet of armoured troop transports used for transporting and supporting infantry in a battlefield. M113s first saw service with the ADF during the Vietnam War and are undergoing a major upgrade to improve protection, lethality, mobility and habitability.

2. Currently, 431 upgraded M113s are on order for delivery by the end of 2011 under Project Land 106: Upgrade of M113 Armoured Vehicles. The initial purchase in July 2002 of 350 upgraded vehicles for delivery by December 2010 was extended in December 2008 to include an additional 81 upgraded M113s as part of the Enhanced Land Force (ELF) initiative. Nine years on, Australia’s A$ 1 billion M-113 upgrade program has only delivered 42 vehicles out of the 431 that are due to be delivered by late 2010.

3. With total anticipated expenditure in the order of $1 billion, the upgrade is one of Defence’s top 30 projects by forecast 2008–09 expenditure, with some $100 million in expenditure under Project Land 106 forecast for this financial year.

4. Upgraded M113s are to be a core component of the ADF’s capability. They are fundamental equipment for Army’s two mechanised battalions, the 5th and 7th Royal Australian Regiments (7RARand 5RAR), and are currently forecast to be in service until 2020.

The Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) previously examined the Department of Defence’s (Defence’s) progress in delivering this project in Audit Report No.32005–06, Management of the M113 Armoured Personnel Carrier Upgrade Project. Given the continuing significance of this project and developments since the 2005–06 audit, the ANAO scheduled this audit to provide updates on the progress against Project Land 106’s stated schedule, cost and technical performance objectives, and on Defence’s implementation of the recommendations and findings of the previous audit.

8. The M113 Major Upgrade Project commenced in July 2002 and has suffered a series of delays. Army has so far received 42 of the vehicles to be upgraded (see Table 1.3). Of these, 16 are in service with 7RAR, five are awaiting issue to units and the remaining 21 are allocated primarily to driver and crew training units.

9. Many of the initial technical difficulties with the Project were resolved by the end of 2007, at which time extensive negotiations with the Prime Contractor were successfully concluded. Those negotiations enabled final production to get under way and reaffirmed the December 2010 delivery date.

Subsequently, however, production has been slow. In July 2008, the Prime Contractor informed Defence that the existing production facilities at Bandiana, Victoria, were not adequate to the task and, at December 2008, there was a potential shortfall of around 100 upgraded vehicles by December 2010.

11. Defence is currently working with the Prime Contractor on measures to improve and expand the M113 production facilities and recover the anticipated production shortfall. On 28 October 2008, the Minister for Defence announced that additional production will occur at Williamstown, Victoria, and Wingfield, South Australia. ANAO notes that recovering the production schedule will be challenging.

12. Defence advised that the upgradedM113s achieved a limited Initial Operational Capability as of December 2007 and could, if circumstances required, be deployed. However, Defence has yet to complete the Operational Testing and Evaluation of the upgraded vehicles, which is necessary to achieve Operational Release. In light of increasing threats, Defence is considering additional protection for its M113s, at a potential additional cost of up to $0.2million per vehicle, if they are deployed on more hazardous missions.

13. As of September2008, the 16 upgraded M113s delivered to 7RAR had travelled less than 1000 kilometres. They were first used in a training exercise in November 2008 and, by December 2008, had travelled almost 9000 kilometres. Defence advised ANAO in December 2008 that, notwithstanding delays in the delivery of the upgraded M113s, demands on capability had been manageable. This was due, in part, to Defence’s ability to use alternative armoured troop transports, and because troops who would otherwise have been assigned to M113s were necessarily deployed elsewhere on operations.

Defence advised ANAO in December 2008 that: The development of the [upgraded M113] capability is adversely impacted by support to operations. This cost has been assessed and accepted by Chief of Army as Capability Manager. Indeed, the cost is manageable within Army’s wider priorities and strategic guidance.

14. Until it receives all its upgraded vehicles, Defence will continue to operate its fleet of original M113s, many of which are over 35 years old. At the time of this audit, Defence’s assessment was that there were no viable alternatives to the upgraded M113.

Click here for the full report (126 pages in PDF format) on the ANAO website.

U.S. To Talk With Kyrgyzstan On Keeping Manas

U.S. To Talk With Kyrgyzstan On Keeping Manas

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - March 27, 2009: Kyrgyzstan has invited the U.S. to discuss retaining the Manas Air Base outside Bishkek that serves as a key supply route to Afghanistan, a senior U.S. official said in Moscow on March 27. "We've agreed to enter into discussions with the Kyrgyz at their invitation on the possibility of the agreement (on the air base remaining in force)," the official, who asked not to be named, said in Moscow. Kyrgyzstan on Feb. 20 officially set in motion the process for closing the airbase at Manas, outside the Kyrgyz capital, by handing the U.S. a 180-day notice to leave the base. The base is a vital support post for U.S. and Western operations, as it is used for ferrying tens of thousands of troops in and out of Afghanistan each year and also hosts planes used for mid-air refueling of combat craft. Kyrgyz Foreign Minister Kadyrbek Sarbayev said on March 26 after talks in Moscow that Kyrgyzstan was not reconsidering its decision to close the U.S. airbase.

Saab Taps Selex For Gripen E-Scan Radar

Saab Taps Selex For Gripen E-Scan Radar

(NSI News Source Info) ROME - March 27, 2009: Saab is set to team with Finmeccanica unit Selex Galileo to develop an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar for its Gripen Next Generation (NG) aircraft, the firm said March 26. The radar will be offered to Brazil, which is considering the Gripen NG for a new fighter order, Saab said, but the signed heads of agreement also foresees "long-term collaboration" between Selex and two Saab units, Saab Aerosystems and Saab Microwave Systems. A Saab spokesman did not rule out offering the radar for upgrades of Gripens that are already in service. The radar will be based on Selex's Vixen e-scan radar, but also will use "functionality" from the PS-05/A radar currently mounted on Gripen aircraft, the firm said. Selex this week announced the first sale of its e-scan Vixen radar, albeit a smaller version than that destined for the Gripen. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will mount the radar on its C-550 Citation Tracker aircraft.